garage sale

With the summer vacation fast approaching, money worries can seem ever present. Especially if you got kids to entertain during those long holidays. After all, vacations cost money, and even if you decide to stay home for the summer, you are still going to need some funds for activities and treats to break things up a bit. So what can you do to raise a little extra cash for the warmer months? Read on to find out.

Have a yard sale

This solution to the summer vacation cash problem is particularly popular with moms. This is because not only can you raise a little extra money to put in your pocket, but you can also clear out some of that clutter that has been taking up valuable space in your home.

To run a yard sale property, make sure that you let people know that it’s happening beforehand. The best way to do this is to put posters up around the neighborhood and at local community centers like schools and hospitals.

Then you need to make sure you have had a clear out and decide what stuff to keep and what to sell before the big day.

On the day itself, get up nice and early and set up your stall outside. As well as some chairs and refreshments to keep you going. It can also help to pre-price the items, so you don’t have people trying to haggle you down to mere cents all the time.

Recycle your cell phones

Got any old cell phones laying around the house? Then you could be sitting on an easy gold mine. As there are many companies that will buy these off you to recondition or to use for parts. They pay pretty well too, especially for Smartphones with touch screens that are still in a reasonable condition.

All you need to do is go to a website like this, put in the details of your cell, and get them to send you a free post envelope. Then post off your phone and wait for the cash to roll in. It doesn’t take too long either maybe a week to two weeks for the whole process. So it’s a great shout if you are in need of some urgent money to take the kids somewhere during vacation time.

Something else that you can do to ensure that you have some extra money come vacation time is to look at your overall finances. Don’t worry, I’m not talking about budget cuts here. Instead, remember that there is financial help out there for many families that are on lower incomes. But how do you know if you qualify for these or not?

Well, you can use tools like this earned income calculator, to heck you are eligible for EIC tax credits. OK, so if you are you may not get the money straight away. But if you get organized you can claim for this each year on your tax return, and squirrel the money away to put toward vacation every year.

You may even consider taking on a second job to help pay for vacation fun in the sun with the kids. If you do, you have two ways of doing this to choose between. The first is to have one parent stay home in the evening and look after the little ones, while the other goes out and works the evening shift. Perhaps in a factory or diner?

The second way is to use the internet to find a second job that you can do from the comfort of your own home. You will find that there are many side hustles that you can pick from, such as testing websites, and apps, filling in surveys and even getting paid to search through specific engines.

Also, don’t discount being able to pick up some money by taking on a remote customer service role, or freelancing in the creative industries. Doing things like content writing, graphic design, or programming.

If none of the suggestions above are going to work to raise enough money to take the kids away for a vacation, then you do still have other options. One of these is to take something that has significant value and use an online auction site to sell it.

Of course, this does depend on you having something that is worth enough, and that you are willing to part with it. Remember it’s not like a pawn shop, where you can eventually buy back your item after a period of time. Once you sell it on an auction site, it’s really gone!

But the advantages of using sites that offer online auctions is that they practically sell anything from vehicles like cars and trucks that can be picked up locally. To old collectibles that can be shipped around the world. You also have the option to get the buyer to pay as soon as they win the auction, meaning you get the cash fast.

Offer some classes

Another great way of making some money to get you through the summer vacation is to take stock of the skills that you have and see if anyone would be willing to pay you to tutor them.

Musical skills and singing are areas where the demand for tutors is high. Think guitar, drums, violin, and piano. But don’t panic if you can’t hold a tune. Practically any skill can be monetized by offer tuition, and I have seen many people make a success of craft lessons including knitting, crochet, and decoupage. As well as art classes including landscape painting in watercolors and acrylics, and even IT workshops for older folks.

Life coaching

Lastly, an often maligned way of raising some money for your summer vacation is to offer life coaching services. Life coaching is a mix of mentoring and emotional support that many people turn to when they are making a big life change.

If you choose this route, you usually get paid by the hour meaning you don’t have to wait long for your cash. Also, you could end up helping people achieve their work, fitness, and personal goals as well as getting paid for it. Something that you might just find very rewarding emotionally, as well as financially.